CANDIDATE QUESTIONS FOR COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES, RECRUITERS

1. Why is this position open?
2. How often has it been filled in the past five years? What were the
main reasons?
3. What would you like done differently by the next person who fills
this position?
4. What are some of the objectives you would like to see accomplished in this job?
5. What is most pressing? What would you like to have done in the next 3 months.
6. What are some of the long term objectives you would like to see completed?
7. What are some of the more difficult problems one would have to face
in this position?
8. How do you think these could best be handled?
9. What type of support does this position receive in terms of people,
finances. etc?
10. What freedom would I have in determining my own work objectives,
deadlines, and methods of measurement?
11. What advancement opportunities are available for the person who is
successful in this position, and within what time frame?
12. In what ways has this organization been most successful in terms
of products and services over the years?
13. What significant changes do you foresee in the near future?
14. How is one evaluated in this position?
15. What accounts for success within the company?
16. What can you tell me about the position?
17. What type of person you are seeking?
18. What can you tell me more about the department?
19. Who is the manager I would be working for and what is their management style?
20. May I have a copy of the written job description?
21. What would a typical working day be in this position?
22. How would you describe your company culture?
23. What is your company’s mission statement?
24. Is this job opening due to growth or replacement? (if replacement)
What happened to the previous person in the position?
25. How much does the position pay?
26. What is the compensation range for this position?
27. What benefits are provided to your employees?
28. Do you have a tuition reimbursement plan?
29. Do you have an employee stock purchase plan? Do you participate?
30. What is the typical career path for this position?
31. What type of internal and external training do you provide?
32. How are performance appraisals conducted within your organization?
33. How are promotions evaluated within your organization?
34. What is your organization’s commitment to diversity?
35. How diverse is your executive management team?
36. What is your retention rate within the company? Within the hiring department?
37. Has your company had any layoffs in the past two years?
38. What was the criteria for deciding who would be laid off?
39. Do you foresee any additional layoffs in the near future?
40. What is the next step for consideration?
41. When will you be making a decision on this position?
42. What are the most important skills and attributes you are looking
for in filling this position?
43. What would be a typical working day for this position?
44. How many hours of work per week would be required to be successful?
45. What is the organization structure of your department?
46. How would you describe your company culture?
47. What are your organizational values? How do these values influence
your decision-making?
48. What is your vision for your department over the next two to three years?
49. What major challenges are you currently facing as a manager?
50. What is your competitive advantage in the marketplace?
51. What makes your company better than your competitors?
52. What are the areas where your competitors are better than your company?
53. Who do you consider your customers to be?
54. What is your value proposition to your customers?
55. What business problems keep you awake at night?
56. Can you tell me more about the other people in the organization I
would be working with? Can I meet with any of them before accepting an
offer of employment?
57. What would you consider to be exceptional performance from someone
performing in this position in the first 90 days?
58. What is the internal perception of pursuing further education,
such as a Master’s degree?
59. What is your management style?
60. How do you typically make decisions?
61. What is your preferred method of communicating with your team?
62. How are you measured as a manager?
63. What can I do to make you successful?
64. How long have you been with the organization?
65. What has been your career path within the organization?
66. What will be the measurements of my success in this position?
67. Do you have an employee stock purchase plan? Do you participate?
68. Who are the primary constituencies that you are responsible to
support? Shareholders? Customers? Employees? How do you make decisions
which conflict with the needs of these different constituencies?
69. How does the pressure of Wall Street expectations affect the
short-term decision making among managers?
70. What are the organizational goals?
71. What are the metrics used to measure whether or not you are
achieving your goals?
72. How far out into the future is the organization planning?
73. Do you have strategic planning within your organization? How often
is it done? Who participates? What is the typical planning time
horizon?
74. How are new strategic initiatives communicated to the organization?
75. Is your department considered to be a profit center or cost center?
76. What are the financial expectations of the department?
77. Do you have control over your own budget?
78. How is the initial budget amount determined?
79. Are budgets made at a centralized location, then rolled down, or
decentralized, then rolled up?
80. What is your approach with regard to the use of technology?
81. Is there anyone within your organization who is considered to be a
thought leader within the industry? What is it about that person that
makes him/her a thought leader?
82. Where did you get my name?
83. What is the name of the employer?
84. Who is the hiring manager?
85. Are you working with HR or directly with the hiring manager?
86. How are you involved in the hiring process?
87. Are you working on a retainer or contingency?
88. What will be the interviewing process?
89. Are there any additional pay components beyond salary?
90. Are you working on this exclusively or are other firms working on it as well?
91. Have you ever placed candidates with this client before?
92. Where is the job located?
93. Is this at the company headquarters/corporate office?
94. Is the company profitable?
95. What is the background of the person I will be interviewing with?
96. What is the interviewing style of the person I will be interviewing with?
97. Who has final hiring decision authority?
98. What will you do with my resume?
99. Will my resume be given out to any other client without my permission?
100. Why did you decide to join this company?
101. Were your expectations initially met?
102. Have your expectations changed over time?
103. Do you consider your company to be the ideal employer? (yes) Why?
(no) Why not?
104. Do you enjoy working here? (yes) Why? (no) Why not?
105. Have you ever considered leaving the organization? (yes) Why did
you decided to stay?
106. Tell me about a typical working day for you.
107. How many hours a day do you typically work?
108. Do you work weekends? How many and how many hours typically?
109. How much travel is involved in your job?
110. What is your honest opinion of your manager?
111. Is the employer truly committed to diversity? Can you give me any
specific examples?
112. What do you consider to be your company's greatest strengths and weaknesses?
113. Do you have an employee stock purchase plan? What are the
details? Do you participate?
114. Does the company support you in training? How specifically?
115. How much has been spent on training you in the past year?
116. What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started in
your position?